note- refer to chapter 16 to catch up
1978
KARNATAKA
The truck was vibrating in an uncomfortable way. Night had fallen and most of them had accepted their fates, curling into each other and murmuring empty reassurances.
What was the point honestly? Everyone were doomed anyway.
He never really understood the point of false assurances anyway. How is telling a person that something is not going to happen when it so obviously will happen, help in any way? He couldn't imagine lying to someone just to give them a false sense of security.
Then a small of part of his brain cruelly reminded him of his promise to Reena.
Wasn't that also a kind of false promise?
He grit his teeth. It would be false if he wasn't planning on returning. But he was.
Was he?
The truck suddenly lurched to a stop and he felt someone steady themselves against his shoulder. He strained his ears, listening to carefully for any signs that they were near a mine. But no.
It was quiet and from a few gaps in the wall, he felt humid air blow through, bringing along with it the scent of the earth.
He heard the rustle of trees and strange noises, as though they were in the middle of the forest.
"PRISONER ESCAPE IN TRUCK 3! PRISONER ESCAPE IN TRUCK 3! SECURE YOUR VEHICLES!" He heard a voice over the radio, bouncing against the steel walls.
Low whispers arose as people sat up straight, whipping their heads back and forth. Rocky steeled himself. Someone actually had the guts to escape. And while that was impressive, the gunshot that followed a few minutes later made him rethink.
People were shouting outside and bushes were wildly rustling. He pressed himself against the truck and kept his ear closer. The air was loud but he heard things.
" -CATCH HIM! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!"
"HE'S RUNNING THERE! STOP HIM!"
More gunshots and he felt people flinch. Suddenly everyone in the truck fell uncharacteristically quiet.
"This is it! This is our chance to escape!" He heard a girl tell the people around them. "Everybody's busy catching that man, they're all distracted. If we work together now, we can make it out."
He squinted in the dark and found the source of the voice. It was the same girl who was screaming at the top of her lungs in the beginning.
He wasn't planning on saying anything until he heard people agree with her.
"No." He said loudly and everybody looked at him confused.
"What do you mean no? Do you not want to escape?" She whispered harshly.
"You're acting like an idiot. Think. We're all defenceless here and half of them can't even stand up. Outside we have twenty something gaurds all trained and armed." He said emphasizing.
"We have a will to fight." She said strongly.
Rocky snorted, "And what can that do? Make all of those guns disappear? Make them weak? No. It'll make you look stupid, unprepared and weak."
"So what? You're saying that we should just give up and accept our fate?" She asked loudly, making the others clamour worriedly.
"Don't strike now is all I'm saying. Wait for the right opportunity. And then strike."
Suddenly someone banged the walls of the truck and everybody crouched.
"GET GOING! GET GOING!"
The passenger door opened and Rocky felt the truck move as someone got in and slammed the door shut.
The truck rumbled to life and lurched as they continued going. Everybody sat back down, wordlessly agreeing with him. Everyone except for one person. He could feel the heated glare even in the dark.
"What is it? What happened?" He heard the driver ask.
"Some fool tried to escape."
"And you caught him?"
"No. He escaped."
"What?! Does John know?"
"No. We shot a deer and told him that he's dead."
"And he believed it?"
"Yes." Pause.
The truck abruptly stopped, tires screeching and everybody gasped at the sudden movement. Rocky heard the faint click of the walkie talkie.
"Truck 2? What's the issue? Why have you stopped?"
"I'm a man. A man needs to piss once in a while." Rocky rolled his eyes.
"Finish it fast! We're already behind on schedule." The other man in the truck said in an annoyed tone.
"This is it. This is how we escape." The girl spoke up again.
"Stop it." Rocky said harshly making everybody flinch, "think before you talk. We are outnumbered and weak. Why aren't you understanding that?"
"We aren't weak." She retorted.
"You, aren't weak. Look at everybody else here. Forget running, some of them can't even stand up."
"So what? You want us to become their slaves? Because let me tell you this, I am not backing down without a fight."
"I don't care what you do." He sneered, "but when you get caught- "
"I won't." She asserted strongly.
"When you get caught," he emphasized and paused, "you're putting all of us in danger."
"But I won't." She protested.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." He said and suddenly the truck lurched again and they were on the move.
"This is all your fault!" The girl yelled sounding almost hysterical.
The little window in the wall that separated the driver's seat from the container slid open loudly and a man barked, "SHUT IT! IF I HEAR ONE MORE NOISE I WILL PUT A BULLET IN YOUR BRAIN!"
And nobody dared to even breathe loudly after that.
author's note
I cannot be anymore stupid than I already am.
I had this sitting in my drafts for a month because I forgot I wrote it.
hehe
anywayss
love you guys for sticking around <33
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no man's land || kgf (slow updates)
Fanfictiona coin has two sides. and so does the story of kgf. we've all heard one side. are you prepared to hear the other?
